UN Focus on Middle East Crisis

United Nations, Jan 2. -The UN on Monday revived its attention on the Middle East crisis after the announcement of a forthcoming contact among Israeli and Palestinian negotiators hosted by the so-called Quartet.The meeting is due to be held in Amman, the Jordanian capital, on an unspecified date, confirmed the two parties on New Year's Day.

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA), however, said the meeting does not mean the resumption of peace talks, interrupted in October 2010 due to the persistence of Tel Aviv in constructing Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.

On December 19, the Israeli government announced the construction of 1,000 new houses for their settlers in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Although the UN Security Council made no formal condemnation, the ambassadors of Brazil, Russia and South Africa, the latter on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, joined the demand for the cessation of settlement construction.

The demand was also made by members of the European Union such as Portugal, the UK, France and Germany.

The delegations to the meeting in Amman will be headed by Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and Israeli government representative Yitzhak Molcho, according to reports received at the UN headquarters in New York. (Prensa Latina)